TECH Signal 401
Hidden AirTag tracks bulk book order to Amazon AI scanning facility
↗
An AirTag hidden inside a rare book sold as part of a bulk order ended up at an Amazon facility where employees confirmed books are scanned and destroyed for AI training data.
This appears to provide the first concrete evidence that AI companies are purchasing used books in bulk to scan for training material without author consent or payment. A 2025 US ruling declared this lawful as "transformative" use, though it would likely be illegal in the UK, creating a fragmented legal landscape for anyone whose work may be ingested this way.
Written by elseif from the cluster below · every claim links back to a sourceThe three things worth knowing
Booksellers have reported receiving suspicious bulk orders of used books with no apparent connection between titles for some time.
An AirTag hidden in a rare book tracked a bulk order to an Amazon facility where staff confirmed books are scanned and destroyed for AI training.
A 2025 US ruling declared scanning copyrighted books for AI training lawful as "transformative" use, though this would likely be illegal in the UK.
THE CLUSTER